Produce counter



June 21, 1949. J. P, TULLY PRODUCE comma Filed July 29, 1947 000 OOOOQ- uvmvron JEkn 2? Tuzg/ Patented June 21, 1949 raonuca coon-ran JohngP. Tully, Bellerose, N. Y., assignor to The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 29, 1947,8erlai No. 764,373 3 Claims. (01. 62-895) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in display counters for merchandise such as vegetables and similar material.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, durable, practical counter for the display of merchandise.

A further object is to provide a counter in which the goods may be kept cool and fresh.

A still further object is to provide a device in which the parts may be assembled and disassembled with ease and dispatch so as to facilitate cleaning, replacement, and repair.

Further and more specific objects, features, and advantages will more clearly appear from the detailed description set forth in the following specification especially when taken in con- 'nection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate present preferred forms which the invention may assume and which form part of the specification. 1

In brief and general terms the invention comprises a counter having a display shelf on which goods are displayed on trays and means for creating a. flow of cool air down beneath the trays and across them to keep the material cooled.

In further particularsthe invention includes a counter having a head frame and a forwardly extending shelf with spaced connected passage in the head frame one of which has a cooling device therein and extends down and beneath the trays on the shelf to a point above and to the front of the trays and the other 01' which extends down to a point above the rear of the trays.

The invention further includes an upturned portion at the front of the shelf provided with spaced sheets of glass to form an extension of the passage beneath the trays to lead the cool flowing air to a point above and at the front of the material on the trays.

The present preferred form which the invention may assume is illustrated in the drawings, of whichv Fig. 1 is a vertical cross section of the counter taken on the line ll of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a partial front elevation of the counter; and

Fig. 3 is a partial vertical section, front-torear of the front upper portion of the counter.

Referring now merely to the specific form thereof shown in the drawings, it will be seen that the improved counter comprises a structure having a top wall It, rear wall ll, bottom wall l2, and an intermediate forwardly and downwardly sloping wall i3, all preferably of z metal framing and having inner metal sheathing it and outer metal sheathing l5, capable of taking a high polish.

Extending downward from the top wall Ill at intervals throughout the length of the structure are metal straps 2| sloping downward and backward as shown in Fig. 1 on the face of which is supported a similarly sloping mirror of glass or polished metal 22. The lower end of the mirror ends forward of the back wall H and well above the intermediate wall l3. This mirror gives the customer a clear view of the goods disposed on trays above the wall i3 as will be seen later.

The passage between the mirror 22 and the rear wall II is divided in two by a partition 23 the lower end of which extends below the mirror 22 and is bent at the bottom as at 25 to support the rear ends of the trays. on the front of this lower portion of the partition 23 is disposed another mirror 25 which therefore acts as a continuation of the mirror 22.

Along the front of the upturned edge 26 of the wall l3 are at intervals disposed vertical metal straps or brackets 21 supporting spaced vertical sheets of glass 28 and 29 to enable the customers to see through them at the goods and at the same time to provide a vertical passage therethrough from the bottom of the floor formed by the wall [3. The glass 28 rests on .the top of the front edge 26 of the wall I3 and the lower edge of the glass 29 rests on a metal bracket 36 (see Fig. 3), which, at its upper end has a socket 3| for the glass 29 and at its lower end 32 is bent at an angle to support the front edges of the trays.

The series of tray which are supported above the wall It are shown in detail in Fig. 3 and are formed of front and rear angle bars 33 to which is connected a perforated sheet 34 of metal held in place by a pipe 35 welded to the angle bar 33 beneath the sheet 34. There is a slight gap between the top of the sheet 314 and the flat angle of the bar 33 and in this gap ride flat finger plates 36 welded to the ends of the partitions 31 which are vertical frames supporting perforated sheetslfl. This connection for the partitions permit them to be slid along laterally above the sheet 34 to provide variable spaces thereon for the goods. As previously noted the rear angle bar 33 of the trays rests upon the lower bent end 24 of the partition 23, as shown in Fig. 1.

Thus, it will be seen that the structure provides a head frame in which are spaced connected passages, one of which leads down to and beneath the series of .trays and to a po t above the front of the trays and the other leads to a point just above the rear of the trays. Disposed in the upper portion of the first passage is a cooling device 39 which cools the air which naturally flows downward. Thetendency of this cool air as it reaches the front of the trays and has become warmed to some extent is to pass across the goods on the trays and flew up the other passage back to the cooling device, thus completing a circuit. Some of the cool air also passes up through the perforations in the trays further enhancing the cooling effect on the goods disposed thereon.

Thus, it will be seenthat I have provided a simple, efilcient, durable and practical counter structure which will afford the customers a com plete view of the goods while standing in front of the counter; will create and maintain a constant circulation of cooling up through and across the goods in a natural flow which will tend to maintain the freshness thereof; will provide a structure in which the racks and trays are separable and removable at will for thorough cleaning at all'times and with relative ease and speed. It is further seen that the intermediate wall l3 forms a shelf on and above which the trays are disposed. The formation of the racks and the trayspermits ready adjustment of their parts to provide for various sizes and quantities of material thereon. The forward upwardly extending portion of one of the pasages is made of glass so as not to interfere with the view of the customers with respect to the goods on display. It is possible and desirable that a fan be disposed in association with the cooling device to stimulate the flow of air through the downward extending passage, although this is not shown. I I

While the invention has been'described in detail with respect to the present preferred forms which the invention may assume in the specification hereinafter set forth, it is not to be limited to such details and forms since many changes and modification of the invention may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest aspects. Hence, it is desired to cover any and all forms and modifications of the invention which may come within the language or scope of any one or more of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A counter having a head frame having a chamber therein, a shelf extending forwardly from the frame intermediate its height, a partition wall in said chamber dividing the chamber into two passages connected at their tops, 9. cooling device in the rear of said passages, trays disposed on the shelf above the bottom thereof, said partition extending down to the rear of the trays, one of said passages extending to the rear of the shelf and the other to apoint Just above the rear of the trays, the front of the shelf being bent upwardly and spaced glass sheets related thereto to form an extension passage to conduct air up from below the shelf to a point adjacent and above the front of the trays.

2. A counter having a shelf having a forward upwardly bent edge, spaced glass sheets supported in spaced relation from said edge, a head frame at the rear of the shelf and having a chamber therein. a'partition dividing said chamber into spaced connected passages, a bent angle bar at the lower end of one of said glass sheets, the lower end of the partition being bent, trays disposed above the shelf, the ends of the trays being supported on said angle bar and said bent portion of the partition.

3. A produce display counter which includes a head frame, a shelf extending forward therefrom at an intermediatelevel thereof, said frame having a chamber therein above said shelf, a partition plate in said chamber dividing it into two vertical passages connected at their upper ends, a produce tray disposed above said shelf with its ends stopping short of the ends of said shelf, the partition extending down to the rear of the tray, a cooling unit in the rear one of said passages whereby cool air may pass down to the rear of the tray, along the bottom thereof, and then up across the front of the tray, the forward passage in the chamber extending down to a point above the rear of the tray, said tray being perforated to permit some of the cool air passing therebeneath to pass upward through the produce disposed on the tray, the forward end of the shelf being upturned and means associated with the forward end of the shelf and the forward end of the tray to form a continuation of the passage beneath the tray to facilitate the passage of the cool air up across the front of the tray.

JOHN P. TUILY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PA Number Name Date 338,459 Adams Mar. 23, 1886 2,074,178 Greene Mar. 16,1937 2,097,530 Peddicord Nov. 2, 1937 2,379,885 Davis July 10, 1945 2,382,937 Caulk et a1. Aug. 14, 1945 2,430,329 Davis Nov. 4, i947 

